During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities in Malaysia implemented online learning. This long-time remote learning is very challenging to some university students. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of psychological well-being on depression, anxiety, and stress of university students on online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The quantitative data were collected from 325 students from a university in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The survey was conducted online through Google Forms. Two instruments used were Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the psychological well-being scale (PWBS-8). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods. The study found that 34.9% of the students were depressed, 60.9% anxious, and 32% stressed. The study found that 23% of the variability in psychological well-being (PWB) affected university students’ depression, anxiety, and stress. This finding demonstrates the magnitude of burden that university students now bear during online learning. Therefore, higher education institutions can play a fundamental role in assisting students to cope with their depression, anxiety, and stress. Authorities should also prioritize determining appropriate student facilities and resources. Structured programmes for distress reduction and blended learning are suggested for use in teaching and learning.

Background and Objective: The mental health of economically disadvantaged college students in China is notably inferior to that of their non-disadvantaged peers. As such, these students necessitate a broader spectrum of psychological support beyond mere financial assistance. Seligman’s PERMA theory has established a compelling association between social support and positive emotions with subjective well-being. However, there is a scarcity of research focusing on character strengths within this framework, particularly the mechanisms that underlie their relationship. Hence, this study aims to examine the relationship between character strengths and subjective well-being among Chinese impoverished college students, while also delving into the chain mediating roles of perceived social support and positive emotions. Methods: A convenience sampling method was employed to collect cross-sectional data from impoverished college students. Participants (N=336, Mean age=20.67) were assessed using four instruments: the Chinese Virtues Questionnaire (CVQ-96), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Results: Character strengths, perceived social support, positive emotions, and subjective well-being were all significantly positively correlated with each other (p< 0.01). In addition, regression analysis indicated that character strengths positively predicted perceived social support (β=0.71, p< 0.001), positive emotions (β=0.44, p< 0.001), and subjective well-being (β=0.52, p< 0.001). Perceived social support positively predicted positive emotions (β=0.34, p< 0.001), and subjective well-being (β=0.44, p< 0.001). Positive emotions positively predicted subjective well-being (β=0.88, p< 0.001). Furthermore, chain mediation analysis revealed that character strengths influenced subjective well-being both directly and indirectly through perceived social support and positive emotions. Conclusion: Perceived social support and positive emotions play a chain mediating role between character strengths and subjective well-being among impoverished college students.

Counseling education and practicum plays a vital role in producing quality counselors. Hence, the higher education institute must ensure that the training of counselors is equipped with proper input in the field of counseling either in theory or practical. This study is focused on the recognition of the education element in the theory and practice. There are 10 trainee counselors from one of the Malaysia's higher education institute that took part in this study. Subjects consisted of two men and eight women that have done their practicum in two semesters as part time. The data sources were obtained from the practicum's report, audio and video tapes of counseling session, case note and log book. All the data was analyzed by using contents analysis. Research finding has shown that two hours of counseling session for every week is really helpful to the student in order to carry out their counseling with client. Findings also show that training counselor also have fulfilled the counseling test requirement through the report and practicum analysis, arranged the individual and group's counseling session, psychology test, assist and consultation activity and also management and administration activity. Practicum training is proven to help training counselors to obtain their skill and improve their experience in order to handle counseling session with remarks and later to produce eminent counselors. Consequently, this research findings can give an input to the instructor or institutions in producing trained counselor that comply with the aspiration of counseling profession that is already recognized as professional service. (Malaysian Counselor Act, 1998–Act 580)

Communication apprehension is a major challenge in higher education, affecting students’ communication ability, which is crucial for academic success and future employability. It manifests as public speaking anxiety, reluctance in group discussions, and avoidance of classroom interactions, hindering soft skill development and academic performance. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of counselling approaches in reducing communication apprehension among students in higher education. Consequently, counselling intervention modules, including the solution-focused brief cognitive behavior (SFBCB) therapy and group counselling (GC) modules, were developed. Sixty students who participated in this study were studying at a public university. Pre-tests, post-tests, and follow-up tests were administered using the personal reports of communication apprehension questionnaire to measure changes in apprehension levels across different communication contexts, including group discussions, meetings, dyadic interactions, and public speaking. The results demonstrated that both intervention modules significantly reduced communication apprehension, with improvements in participants’ confidence and communication abilities. In conclusion, the study highlights the effectiveness of integrating solution-focused and cognitive-behavioral techniques in counselling interventions to mitigate communication apprehension. These findings suggest that such approaches can be valuable tools in higher education to enhance students’ communication skills, ultimately contributing to their academic success and personal growth.

The purpose of this study is to observe the ability of accident-caused disabled individual to integrate within their surroundings, especially in terms of social relationships. Disabled are synonym with their tendency to isolate themselves from the community. They are also prone to place a barrier when it comes to relationships within the community. Three main focuses emphasized in this study were isolation, willingness to integrate within the society and contributing factors for such behavior. The study involved six respondents and the data collected was based on semi structured interview.

Academic achievement in higher education is shaped not only by cognitive ability but also by social and emotional factors. Based on Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined the relationship between perceived peer support and academic achievement among university students, as well as the mediating roles of emotion regulation and behavioral engagement. Data were collected from 560 undergraduate students from two universities in China using a time-lagged three-wave survey design within one academic semester. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation model. The results indicated that perceived peer support was positively associated with academic achievement. Emotion regulation and behavioral engagement each mediated this relationship. In addition, a significant sequential mediation pathway was identified, indicating that perceived peer support was associated with higher levels of emotion regulation, which in turn predicted greater behavioral engagement and subsequently higher academic achievement. These findings highlight a social-emotional-behavioral pathway linking peer support to academic achievement within the environment-person-behavior framework of Social Cognitive Theory. Practically, fostering supportive peer environments and promoting students’ emotion regulation skills may help encourage greater engagement and support students’ academic development.